Sue Scheible is a staff reporter for The Patriot Ledger who writes a weekly column, A Good Age, about life after 50. In her blog, she shares extra anecdotes about the people she meets, readers' e-mails, videos, photos and phone messages, and ideas
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Sue Scheible is a staff reporter for The Patriot Ledger who writes a weekly column, A Good Age, about life after 50. In her blog, she shares extra anecdotes about the people she meets, readers' e-mails, videos, photos and phone messages, and ideas for what to do in retirement or to prepare for retirement. Sometimes she just likes to share what she's doing that is fun and engaging, often in videos or photos, or my family situations. She may explore her reactions to issues of aging and pass along good information for family members and caregivers. This is also a good place to recognize some of the many dedicated people who work in the elder services and geriatric care field.

HINGHAM -- Norwell VNA and Hospice patient Marie Noonan, who is 94 and a charmer, appeared in a feature story and video a week ago in The Patriot Ledger about hospice care on the South Shore.

The articles included a photo, shown here, of Noonan, who is 94, with her daughter, Mary Panarelli, and hospice volunteer Virginia Harrington, at Noonan's Linden Ponds residence in Hingham, This is a link to the video.

Noonan got a big kick out of the coverage and the attention and Panarelli, who lives in Marshfield, emailed that it "seems that this is one of mom's last spectacular moments." Noonan continues to do well in hospice.

The message reminded me that there was more about Noonan's life that I hadn't fit into the article. Now's the time to share it: she's quite a lady. She served in the U.S. military as a WAVE from 1943 to 1946, and still counts that time of her life as one of her spectacular moments as well.

"I loved it," she told me. She trained in Iowa, then was stationed in Washington, D.C. in the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, then moved to New York City, where she served in the Armed Guard Center. She married David Noonan and they raised six children in No. Weymouth.

She has been at Linden Ponds for nine years, living in her own apartment, and until her health declined this past year, she volunteered to help a blind woman, bringing her over from the skilled nursing facility next door for lunch.

And Noonan "still loves her lobster."

In hospice care, people may live six months or longer, and it's good to remember there is always time for one more spectacular moment, however we define it.